A 55 year old man is brought in by EMS for altered mental status. It is the middle of February and he was found sleeping outside. He smells of alcohol, is moaning on the gurney, and responds to painful stimuli. Vital signs are assessed. RR: 13 HR: 38 BP: 110/90 Temp: Cold to touch SpO2: […]

Diabetic emergencies constitute a substantial percentage of ‘9-1-1’ calls and emergency department visits, with occurrences expected to rise as the percentage of the population diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM) increases.1 Severe hypoglycemia, or “diabetic shock”, is generally thought to be a true medical emergency, and treatment has been made widely available for prehospital professionals to […]

EMS responds to a 78 year old male complaining of chest pain. On initial observation the patient is pale, cool, and diaphoretic. He says to the treating paramedic, “I think I’m having a heart attack.” He states that he was watching TV when he felt a crushing pain that radiated to his arm and jaw. […]

A 45 year old male with unknown medical history was taken into police custody under concern for trafficking illegal drugs. While he was in the back of the squad car he told the police he had swallowed a large amount of cocaine and may need to go to the hospital.  Not long afterwards he became […]